elephant calf airlifted to safety

Swift action saved the life of a two-week old male elephant calf after it wandered into a community area near Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe the morning after Christmas 2022.

The tiny elephant was being harassed and pushed about by holiday revelers when rangers from the Forestry Commission, ZimParks and Zimbabwe Republic Police arrived just in time to prevent a tragedy.

Officials agreed to move the calf to safety at the IFAW and Wild is Life (WIL) Panda Masuie Elephant Release Project, a rewilding and release facility with 12 elephants in its care.

“We’re grateful to the Forestry Commission and others who sprang into action on a holiday weekend to rescue this tiny elephant and so quickly move him into protection. They saved his life,” says Jos Danckwerts, conservation director for WIL.

The calf received round-the-clock care overnight by handlers at Panda Masuie, while arrangements were made to have him airlifted to the Wild is Life Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery (ZEN) in Harare, which specialises in care of very young orphan elephants.

Founder Roxy Danckwerts and veterinarian

Dr. Mark Lombard assessed the calf on arrival and found him to be about two weeks old, in fair condition with no serious external injuries.

“We’ve named our little newcomer Elliot,” says Danckwerts. “He has been taken under the wing of another of our rescues Kadiki, who at just three years old, is proving herself to be excellent foster mum and the two share a stable.”

“Elliot is drinking voraciously—consuming 21 litres a day of special neo-nate milk formula— and he is partial to having fun by chasing ducks and other large birds. He has so much energy, and it’s a joy to see such a tiny elephant having such a good time,” says Danckwerts.

The WIL ZEN elephant nursery was founded by Danckwerts in 2012 and has rescued 50 orphaned elephants. Currently 30 elephants are in rehabilitation and 12 are taking their last steps to rewilding at Panda Masuie. Six elephants have been permanently released into the wild.

Subsequent to the rescue of the elephant calf on 26 December, a small breeding herd of six elephants—possibly the orphan calf’s natal herd—was found dead in a nearby forest. The elephant’s ivory was intact so death from poaching is not suspected and investigations continue.

The two-week old elephant calf, shortly after rescue, in care at the IFAW Wild is Life (WIL) Panda Masuie Release Project near Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

Now named Elliot, the rescued calf rests with Kadiki, a three-year old elephant who has taken on the role of foster-mum to the young calf at the Wild is Life Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery in Harare, Zimbabwe.